Needle finds in Belfast show ‘drug crisis’ and urgent need for overdose prevention centre, says councillor

Green Party Councillor Brian Smyth said he is often sent photos of needle finds in the city centre.

He shared one from 9am on Tuesday morning which he reported to have since been cleaned.

“Some in Belfast City Council want to ignore the issue and for me to be quiet. I'm not going to and I'll get louder, we need an overdose prevention centre: Save lives and build collective safety,” Mr Smyth added.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph he said there is a “serious drug crisis going on in Belfast city centre” right now.

The Lisnasharragh representative explained he is aware of 20-30 people injecting every day, with charity Extern lifting approximately 600-700 needles from private land around the city centre and the council collecting similar.

“You don’t have to look far away from the city centre,” he said, “this all goes back to the need for an overdose prevention facility.”

Mr Smyth has been raising the need for such a facility for years and said other parties are beginning to get on board, but claimed some councillors are reluctant to highlight the issue.

It comes just days after an interview with the city’s Lord Mayor Micky Murray, in which the Alliance Party politician told Hot Press magazine the city needs to “l...
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